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HOW TO EXCEL 



OTHER BOOKS BY 
DWIGHT EDWARDS MARVIN 

THE CHRISTMAN 

A novel of Christian Expe- 
rience, indicating the secret of 
spiritual strength and useful- 
ness. 

PROF. SLAGG OF LONDON. 
A character study. 

THE CHURCH AND 

HER PROPHETS 

A review of the present day 
conditions and requirements of 
the Christian Church and her 
ministry. 



HOW TO EXCEL 

FOR TEACHERS IN 
THE SUNDAY SCHOOL 



BY 

DWIGHT EDWARDS MARVIN 



183 

si 



FREDERICK H. HITCHCOCK 

NEW TORE MCMXII 




ob Congress 

WASHINGTON 



Copyright, 1912, 
By FREDERICK H. HITCHCOCK 



C C!. A3 140 49 



TO 

MY DAUGHTER CAROLINE 



CONTENTS 
PREREQUISITES 

PAGE 

Earnestness 11 

Fellowship with Christ 13 

Prayer 15 

Forethought 17 

Method 20 

Variety 22 

Adaptation 25 

Illustration 27 

Interrogation 29 

Appeal to the Eye 32 

Exaltation of Christ 35 

Hopefulness 38 

Confidence 41 

SUGGESTED STEPS 

Meditate on the Lesson 47 

Read the Lesson with Prayer for Guidance 49 

Consider the Lesson Broadly .... 52 
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PAGE 

Use the Best Lesson Helps. 55 

Go to the Class with Faith, Joy, and 

Enthusiasm 58 

REMINDERS 

It is a Privilege to Teach 63 

Success is not Achieved Without Labor . 65 
The Teacher Should Apply the Lesson to 

Himself 67 

It is Essential to be Often Alone with God 70 

Power to Interest a Class is Insufficient . 73 
Winning is Better than Commanding . .76 
Simplicity and Clearness are Better than 

a Show of Learning 78 

Love is Triumphant 81 

It is Well to Remember the Natural Order 

of Teaching 84 



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Earnestness 

Earnestness commands attention and 
impresses the mind. As the hammer 
drives the nail into the wood, so earnest- 
ness forces the truth into the heart. 
"The world," said F. W. Robertson, 
"is given as a prize to the man in 
earnest. 5 ' Success is the reward of 
activity and zeal in Sunday School 
work. A gun may be well loaded and 
well aimed, but it will be ineffective 
until force is obtained sufficient to dis- 
charge its contents: so a Sunday 
School lesson that is well prepared 
may, through lack of earnestness, 
fail to produce a deep impression on 
the heart. 

Earnestness is not an evidence of 
fanaticism; it is rather an evidence of 
inspiration. D. L. Moody was a great 
enthusiast and was glad to acknowl- 

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edge the fact. "I have often prayed," 
said he, "that the Lord would let me 
die before enthusiasm died out of my 
soul." Many teachers never become 
proficient in their work because they 
would rather die of dignity than give 
enthusiasm a chance to show itself. 

"Whatsoever thy hand findeth to 
do, do it with thy might." 

"Whatsoever ye do, work heartily 
(from the soul), as unto the Lord and 
not unto men; knowing that from the 
Lord ye shall receive the recompense 
of the inheritance: ye serve the Lord 
Christ." 



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Fellowship with Christ 

It is important that the Sunday 
School teacher should know Jesus Christ 
intimately before he introduces him to 
others. He needs the divine compan- 
ionship as well as the divine commis- 
sion. In Christian activities, human 
service and divine fellowship go to- 
gether. He who labors for the king- 
dom of heaven has the King of heaven 
for his associate. "The branch cannot 
bear fruit of itself/ 5 neither can the 
Sunday School teacher produce results 
of himself. It is a great privilege to 
work for the Son of God, but it is a 
greater privilege to work with Him. 

Fellowship is more than partnership; 
it is also comradeship. "Often, on 
waking in the morning after days of 
the most absorbing and affectionate 
study of the Great Life," wrote Eliza- 
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beth Stuart Phelps, "the first conscious 
thought has been, 'who was with me 
yesterday? What noble being entered 
my door? In what delightful, in what 
high society, have I been?' I felt 
as if I had made a new, a supreme 
acquaintance. 5 ' Intimate association 
with Christ is the secret of power. To 
know Christ is to know the meaning 
of resistless love. 

"I am the vine, ye are the branches; 55 
said Jesus. "He that abideth in me, 
and I in him, the same beareth much 
fruit: for apart from me ye can do 
nothing." 



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Prayer 

Prayer is not a battering-ram with 
which to break down the walls of di- 
vine unwillingness; neither is it the 
indolent reiteration of wishes with a 
vague idea that, in some way, they 
may be gratified. "The supplication 
of a righteous man availeth much in 
its working. 55 

"Prayer," says an old proverb, 
"should be the key of the day and the 
lock of the night. 5 ' By it, the doors 
of opportunity are opened, the way of 
service is made known and success is 
secured. While no Christian would 
deny that prayer is essential to effi- 
ciency there are some Sunday School 
teachers who think that it is less im- 
portant to receive the message of the 
lesson from God than from some man- 
made "lesson help. 55 Such teachers 
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should ponder the words of Scripture, 
"If any of you lack wisdom, let him 
ask of God, who giveth to all liberally 
and upbraideth not, and it shall be 
given him. 55 

"I should be the most presumptous 
blockhead upon this footstool, 55 said 
Abraham Lincoln, "if I, for one day, 
thought I could discharge the duties 
which have come upon me since I 
came into this place without the aid 
and enlightenment of One who is 
stronger and wiser than all others. 55 
How much greater blockhead is the 
Sunday School teacher who thinks 
that he can speak for God without 
communion with God. 

"In everything by prayer and sup- 
plication with thanksgiving let your 
requests be made known unto God; 
and the peace of God which passeth all 
understanding, shall guard your hearts 
and your thoughts in Christ Jesus/ 5 
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Forethought 

In lesson preparation, procrastina- 
tion is not only the thief of a teacher's 
time; it is also the thief of his joy. He 
who tries to make ready when he should 
be ready, is apt to use moments that 
should be given to the preparation of 
his heart, to the cramming of his head, 
and so be compelled to go to his 
work unprepared. If any teacher is so 
driven by his daily toil that he has no 
time for specific study, let him think 
about the lesson and pray over it while 
engaged in labor. In that way he can 
be about his Father's business while 
he is carrying on his own business. 

There is often more real preparation 
in thinking than in reading, though 
reading is of great importance. "A 
thinking man is the worst enemy the 
Prince of Darkness can have:" said 
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Thomas Carlyle, "every time such an 
one announces himself, I doubt not 
there runs a shudder through the nether 
empire; and new emissaries are trained 
with new tactics, to, if possible, entrap 
and hoodwink and handcuff him." 

Opinions formed without considera- 
tion do not produce convictions; they 
only produce notions. Leonardo de 
Vinci meditated on his vision of the 
Last Supper before he permitted his 
brush to touch the walls of the old con- 
vent in Milan. John Wesley took time 
for thought before preaching his 
masterly sermons. John Bunyan re- 
flected long in prison solitude before he 
told the story of Pilgrim's Progress. 
Printed helps are important to the 
Sunday School teacher but they cannot 
take the place of meditation. 

The teacher who begins preparation 
early in the week gives himself time to 
think and gather material. 

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"Oh how love I Thy law! 55 cried the 
Psalmist; "it is my meditation all the 
day. Thy commandments make me 
wiser than mine enemies; for they are 
ever with me. I have more under- 
standing than all my teachers; for thy 
testimonies are my meditation. 55 



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Method 

Much valuable time is wasted by 
haphazard preparation. Walking may 
be important to the traveler who longs 
for the warmth and comfort of his own 
fireside, but what matters it how much 
he walks if he does not keep to the road 
that leads to his home. It is not so 
much the time a teacher spends in 
preparation that counts, as the way 
he spends it. 

Some Bible students translate Paul's 
admonition to Timothy thus: "Strive 
diligently to present thyself approved 
to God, a workman that has not to be 
ashamed, cutting in a straight line 
the word of truth." Let the teacher 
cut the word of truth that he intends 
to bring to his class along some straight 
line. 

Ready-made plans for lesson prepara- 
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tion are good, but, like ready-made 
clothing, they do not always fit. It is 
the privilege of every teacher to select 
his own method. Published methods 
are useful, but their usefulness is found 
in what they suggest more than in 
what they offer for adoption. "He 
who greases his wheel helps his oxen/ 5 
even though the grease that he uses is 
taken from another man's pail. 

Whatever plan a teacher employs, 
it should be his own, either created 
by himself for himself, or made his own 
by meditation. " There is only one 
real failure in life possible," said F. W. 
Farrar, "and that is, not to be true 
to the best one knows. 99 

"Every scribe who hath been made 
a disciple to the kingdom of heaven 
is like unto a man that is a householder, 
who bringeth forth out of his treasure 
things new and old." 



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Variety 

There is nothing sinful in curiosity. 
In common with others, the Sunday 
School scholar wants to know things. 
When his curiosity is sufficient to make 
him anxious to know what his teacher 
has to say about the lesson, there 
will be little trouble in holding his 
attention. 

Many teachers fail to interest because 
they have no surprises to stimulate 
the curiosity of their pupils. When a 
method of presenting truth is always 
the same, every boy or girl knows in 
a general way about what will be said 
and forthwith lapses into indifference. 
Drive a man constantly over the same 
road and he will become so familiar 
with the location of every house, barn, 
tree and fence, that he will need but 
a glance to tell him where he is. There 
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PREREQUISITES 



being no surprises, he will be apt to 
settle back in his seat and take no inter- 
est in what is passing* 

Teachers who complain of inatten- 
tion from their scholars, should con- 
sider their manner of exposition and 
see whether they have not encouraged 
inattention by teaching in a groove. 
It is not fair to a pupil to expect him 
to keep out of the rut of indifference 
when his instructor is unable to keep 
out of the rut of a fixed teaching 
method. 

There is a verse of an old song which 
runs thus: 

"If I were a cobbler it would be my pride 
The best of all cobblers to be; 
If I were a tinker, no tinker beside 
Should mend an old kettle like me." 

It would be well for every Sunday 
School teacher to modernize the rhyme 
and apply it to himself by saying: 
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"If I am a worker, it will be my pride 
The best of all workers to be; 
If I am a teacher no teacher beside 
Shall interest each pupil like me." 

"The Preacher sought to find out 
acceptable words (words of delight) 
and that which was written uprightly, 
even words of truth." 



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Adaptation 

Every class is unlike every other 
class. It stands alone in character and 
need. To teach the members most 
effectively the leader in charge must 
know his pupils and adapt his instruc- 
tion to their requirements. "Fit the 
foot to the shoe, not the shoe to the 
foot/' as the people of Portugal say. 

"I used to be drilled by a shrewd 
sergeant/' remarked Amos R. Wells, 
"one of whose tricks was to command, 
'Make ready — take aim — ' and then 
would come a pause during which some 
impatient gun would be certain to go 
off. 'Vy don't you vinish aiming?' 
growled the sergeant." The Sunday 
School teacher should not attempt to 
shoot before he finishes aiming, no 
matter how well his gun may be loaded. 
He who would strike the target of the 
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human heart must point his instruction 
in that direction. 

St. Paul showed a true Christian 
spirit when he wrote about his purpose 
to adapt himself to the conditions of 
the Corinthians. Cranmer's quaint 
translation of his words is striking: 
"To the weake became I as weake, to 
wynne the weake. In all thinges I 
fasshyoned my selfe to all men, to 
save at the least waye some. And 
this I do for the Gospel's sake, that I 
myght have my parte thereof." 

The Sunday School teacher, like the 
preacher of old, should seek to "find 
out acceptable words," and give dili- 
gence to present himself "approved 
unto God, a workman that needeth 
not to be ashamed, handling aright 
the word of truth." 

The words of the wise are not like 
arrows shot at random. They are 
like "goads; and as nails well fastened." 
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Illustration 

A nail that is well driven holds fast, 
but a nail that is clinched holds faster. 
A lesson that is clearly stated and prop- 
erly applied is apt to find a lodgment 
in the pupil's heart, but a lesson that 
is clinched by a forceful illustration is 
made sure by the pupil's memory. 

Illustrations light up a lesson; truth, 
by them, is "made lustrous." Jesus 
taught the people by similitudes. Let 
the Sunday School teacher follow his 
example. If he is observant he will 
find plenty to meet his needs. Nature, 
art, history, biography, science, and 
daily life are full of them. 

Hackneyed stories that are directly 
applicable may sometimes be found 
useful, though fresh ones are better, 
but improbable stories are never useful. 
Harrowing tales of suffering and death 
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generally do more harm than good, and 
"Johnnie and Willie" anecdotes are 
insulting to the intelligence of the aver- 
age boy or girl. 

Some teachers seek to secure the 
attention of their pupils by the use of 
illustrations that do not illustrate. 
They will have interest at any cost, and 
a bright story answers their purpose 
even though it may not make the word 
of God more powerful. Unless the 
similitudes that a teacher uses in his 
explanations of the lesson make the 
meaning clearer to the minds of his 
pupils or open a way by which he can 
impress their hearts with the truth, 
they are nothing more than means of 
entertainment and are about as useful 
as mirrors in the sun that dazzle the 
eyes but do not reflect the face. 

"All these things spake Jesus in para- 
bles unto the multitudes ; and without a 
parable spake he nothing unto them." 
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PREREQUISITES 



Interrogation 

It is a common saying among the 
Italians that, "Asking costs little/' 
but every faithful teacher knows that 
wise questions cost much thinking. 
Ready-made inquiries are dead until 
they are vitalized by thought. It is 
not fair to present a class with any- 
thing that is lifeless. The printed 
questions that are found in lesson helps 
are intended to aid study and not to be 
taken as substitutes for study. When 
used aright they are often wonderfully 
suggestive. 

Teachers should seek to memorize 
the questions that they intend to ask. 
Inquiries are apt to be forceless when 
read from a slip of paper or open book, 
yet they are not always so. It is 
better to read and ask than not to ask 
at all. Crutches are useful even though 
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they may be undesirable. They show 
weakness but they give strength. 
Jacob leaned on his staff when he passed 
over Jordan because he had walked far 
and was weary; he leaned again on his 
staff when he forded the brook Jabbok 
because an angel had touched him and 
he was worn with wrestling. The 
teacher who uses a crutch is often more 
efficient than one who does not. Let 
each, therefore, learn for himself where 
his strength lies. 

A well-chosen inquiry clarifies 
thought, stimulates curiosity, and com- 
mands attention; but indifferent ques- 
tions encourage listlessness. Catch 
questions should be used sparingly, if at 
all, for they are apt to divert the mind 
and cause embarrassment. Leading 
questions are useful as expedients in 
securing replies from dull or timid 
pupils. 

When a scholar gives the wrong an- 
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swer in ignorance of the right one, it is 
inconsiderate and unwise to bluntly 
inform him of the fact. Humiliating 
him is not the way to win him. It is 
better to utilize the wrong answer in 
throwing a side light on the lesson. 

Every teacher should remember that, 
unless he is very clear in stating his 
questions, he may receive correct but 
irrelevant replies. When, therefore, an 
answer is right but different from that 
which was expected, the teacher should 
not blame his pupil, but seek thereafter 
to be more careful in the wording of 
his inquiries. 

"Foolish and ignorant questionings 
refuse/ 5 said the Apostle to Timothy, 
"knowing that they gender strifes/ 5 



[31] 



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Appeal to the Eye 

We are told that the hearts of chil- 
dren are more easily moved by what 
they see than by what they hear. The 
same is true of those who are older. 
Maps, charts, pictures, curios from 
Palestine and objects from nature are 
all helpful. The skilled instructor soon 
discovers that, when teaching, some 
material object that illustrates or ex- 
plains is more useful than a lesson 
quarterly. 

An old French proverb reads, "If you 
can't say it, point to it with your fin- 
ger." When a teacher cannot describe 
a Bible scene, let him point to it in a 
picture; when he cannot explain a 
Jewish custom, let him point to some 
object that makes it plain; when he 
cannot fix the location of a district or 
town, mountain or river, let him point 
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to it on the map; when he cannot make 
clear the meaning of a symbol, let him 
point to its explanation on a chart. 
It is by pointing that he is enabled to 
secure attention and reach the minds 
and hearts of those over whom he is 
placed. 

A public speaker who was trying to 
interest a listless audience took a piece 
of chalk in his hand and touched a black- 
board. In an instant every one was 
alert and anxious to see what he would 
draw. A class is a small congregation 
and often needs a piece of chalk, or 
something in its place, to rouse interest, 
for the minds of the boys and girls are 
always curious to see as well as to hear. 
"Next to the Bible/' says Amos R. 
Wells, "the Sunday School teacher's 
inseparable companion should be a 
lead pencil." 

When Jesus taught the people about 
the Heavenly Father's care, He directed 
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their attention to something that they 
could see, saying, "Consider the lilies 
of the field, how they grow; they toil 
not, neither do they spin : yet I say unto 
you, that even Solomon in all his glory 
was not arrayed like one of these." 



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Exaltation of Christ 

Though the name of Christ is not 
mentioned in many Sunday School 
lessons, the spiritually minded teacher 
will always be able to find out some way 
to honor his Lord. The Gospel mes- 
sage is too large and too far reaching to 
be confined within the limits of the 
records made by the evangelists and 
apostles. Abraham rejoiced to see the 
day of the Lord and was glad, Jacob 
followed the course of history with 
prophetic vision till the coming of 
Shiloh, Moses beheld the Great Deliv- 
erer afar off, David sang of the Good 
Shepherd, Isaiah spoke of the Messiah's 
sacrificial death, and Daniel saw the 
kingdom of Heaven spread over all the 
earth. 

Joseph Parker, writing of the whole 
Bible as a revelation of Jesus, says, 

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"The creation means Christ; the prom- 
ise to shattered man in Eden means 
Christ; the music of Israel's sweetest 
harp means Christ; the light that 
gleams and burns in prophecy means 
Christ; the song of songs rolls its 
tender strain around Christ; the bur- 
dens of the later seers were burdens of 
Christ. No page did Christ disclaim; 
no prophet did Christ disown; He 
appropriated all names and figures and 
symbols of beauty; He was the Root 
and Offspring of David, He was the 
Bright and Morning Star, He was the 
Flower of Jesse and the Plant of Re- 
nown, He was the Rose of Sharon and 
the Lily of the Valley, He was the Shep- 
herd of the Flock, and the Redeemer 
of those who were in the hand of the 
enemy; He had not where to lay His 
head, yet He was perfumed with the 
powders of the merchants." 

Jesus Christ is the one great life- 
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giving, upholding, illuminating leader 
of men, and teachers in the Sunday 
School are His appointed agents with 
inspired messages. Of them he says, 
"These are they which bear witness of 
me/ 5 It is important therefore that 
teachers should bear testimony to power 
and grace of their Lord. 

"All may honor the Son, even as 
they honor the Father. He that hon- 
oreth not the Son, honoreth not the 
Father that sent him/' 



[37] 



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Hopefulness 

Discouragement weakens the will 
and robs the teacher of energy. D. L. 
Moody used to remind Christian work- 
ers that God never used a discouraged 
man to do any great thing for Him. 
He who makes friends of Mistrust and 
Timorous is sure to find lions in the 
way. It matters not that they are 
chained, he fails to see their fetters. 

When not arising from ill-health or 
exhaustion, discouragement is dishon- 
oring to God; yet there are some Chris- 
tians who think that it is a mark of 
humility and therefore commendable. 

In the Apostolic enumeration of the 
three virtues, faith, hope, and love, 
hope is placed between faith and love, 
for it roots itself in one and blossoms in 
the other. 

Sunday School teachers generally 
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become disheartened from looking at 
conditions from one point of view. 
They fix their attention on the difficul- 
ties of their work and turn them over 
in their mind until they seem almost 
unendurable; but fail to consider the 
proffered help of God that is more than 
sufficient for all their needs. "I can do 
all things in Him that strengthened 
me/ 5 said the Apostle. 

It was a wise saying of Dr. Theodore 
Cuyler that, "There is no sunshine for 
those who persist in keeping their 
shutters barred. Joy is not gained by 
asking for it but by acting for it." 

A good prescription for the cure of 
what is known as "the blues" was 
once given by Samuel Longfellow, the 
brother of the poet: "Whatever it be/' 
said he, "that disorders, annoys, grieves 
you, makes life look dark and your 
heart dumbly ache or wets your eyes 
with bitter tears, look at it steadily, 
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look at it deeply, look at it in the 
thought of God and His purpose of 
good, and already the pain of it will 
begin to cease." 

"To them that love God all things 
work together for good.' 5 

"Why art thou cast down, O my 
Soul, and why art thou disquieted 
within me? Hope thou in God; for I 
shall yet praise Him, for the help of 
His countenance/ ' 



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Confidence 

"He who would climb a ladder must 
begin at the bottom/ 5 says an old 
German proverb. The first rung of the 
Sunday School teacher's ladder of suc- 
cess is confidence in God. After honest 
endeavor he has a right to look for 
results even though they come not 
quickly. To labor on without expect- 
ing to accomplish anything is the height 
of foolishness. 

Some one has said that "Faith with- 
out works is like a bird without wings.' ' 
It is also true that works without faith 
is like a bird without wings. Christians 
may be conscious of their shortcomings 
and inefficiency, but they should not 
forget that divine "power is made per- 
fect in weakness" and do their best, 
praying for help and trusting God for 
results. 

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Before Jesus called Lazarus from the 
grave, He lifted up His eyes and said, 
"Father, I thank Thee that Thou 
heardest me, and I know that Thou 
hearest me always." By faith, He was 
sure of results before the results came. 
His was a triumphant faith with a 
certainty that would not admit the 
possibility of defeat. He followed his 
declaration of confidence by crying, 
"with a loud voice: ' Lazarus come 
forth 5 and he that was dead came 
forth." 

Miracles that relieve from physical 
disease and pain are great, but miracles 
that bring salvation to the heart or 
perfect the soul in righteousness are 
greater. This fact should cause the 
teacher to rejoice in the promise of 
Christ that "greater works than these 
shall ye do; because I go unto the 
Father." 

Faith has been well defined as "grasp- 
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ing Christ with the heart/' When the 
Christian lays hold of his God in holy 
confidence, his Lord will lay hold of 
him in love and strength and speak to 
him as he spoke to the Prophet of old, 
saying, "Fear thou not, for I am with 
thee; be not dismayed, for I am thy 
God: I will strengthen thee; yea, I will 
help thee: yea, I will uphold thee with 
the right hand of my righteousness. 5 ' 



[43] 



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Meditate on the Lesson 

In rendering Psalm cxix : 27, the 
Revised Version substitutes the word, 
" meditate/ 5 for "talk/ 5 so that the 
passage is translated, "Make me to 
understand the way of Thy precepts, 
so shall I meditate on Thy wondrous 
works. 55 Commenting on the verse 
Spurgeon remarked that, "none but 
foolish people will talk without think- 
ing. 55 The wise Sunday School teacher 
meditates first and talks afterwards. 
"To talk without thinking is to shoot 
without aiming. 5 ' 

That the teacher may have time to 
think, he should read the lesson early 
in the week. If, after reading it, he 
holds it in his memory and recalls it 
at intervals when about his work, he 
will find that it will reveal its spiritual 
significance to his mind in a way that 
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cannot be secured by considering the 
printed expositions of others, no matter 
how good they may be. 

"Taking out without putting in, soon 
comes to the bottom/ 5 is a maxim 
worth repeating. No one is competent 
to instruct others who has not been 
instructed. To deliver God's message 
the Christian must first receive it, so 
that it behooves every follower of Christ 
to sit at the feet of his Lord and keep 
his heart open to the influences of the 
Spirit. 

The purpose of the Sunday School 
teacher today should be like that of 
the Psalmist of old who, in the richness 
of his faith, told God of his determi- 
nation to keep in memory the divine 
testimonies. 

"I will meditate on Thy precepts," 
said he, "and have respect unto Thy 
ways. I will delight myself in Thy 
statutes: I will not forget Thy Word." 
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Read the Lesson again with Prayer 
for Guidance 

Having fastened the lesson in the 
mind and having had its meaning 
made clear to the heart, the teacher 
should next read it devotionally . Time 
spent in talking with God about the 
lesson is time multiplied. Important 
as study is, it is better to pray much 
and study little than pray little and 
study much. 

"Praying to God and hitting with 
the hammer/' go together. Let the 
teacher, therefore, read the lesson again 
after a week of meditation, going over 
it verse by verse, slowly and reverently 
considering what he has learned of 
its spiritual meaning and purport. 
Almost every word will be found to 
be significant. Many that were passed 
over lightly during the week will be 
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seen to have a new significance. It is 
a great mistake to think that the prayer- 
ful review of the assigned passage is 
nothing more than a soul elevating 
exercise. It is much more. By it the 
Christian enters into the very heart 
of the lesson and receives wisdom and 
strength. 

Old John Bunyan was right in say- 
ing, "He who runs from God in the 
morning will scarcely find Him the rest 
of the day/' for running from the Al- 
mighty is the surest way of losing the 
desire to know Him in the richness of 
His grace. 

When the two disciples welcomed 
the risen Christ to their company as 
they went on their way toward Emmaus 
they were ignorant of the blessing that 
was in store for them. In recalling His 
explanations of the Old Testament 
and their own experiences, they said, 
"Was not our heart burning within us 
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SUGGESTED STEPS 



while He spake to us in the way, while 
He opened to us the Scriptures." It 
is always so. The revelations of Jesus 
concerning the teachings of the Bible 
appeal not only to the mind but to 
the heart, and give wisdom that can 
be obtained in no other way. 



[51] 



SUGGESTED STEPS 



Consider the Lesson Broadly 

Glancing over the lesson in a desul- 
tory way just before going to the 
class, is not preparation. Skimming 
can never be substituted for study any 
more than scraping the side of a moun- 
tain can take the place of deep mining. 

It is well to own a Reference Bible 
and use it; it would be better to own 
a Bible containing a Text Book and 
Concordance, for a teacher should 
know, not only the relation of a lesson 
to its immediate context, but also to 
its remote context. He should search 
the Scriptures — all the Scriptures — 
that he may find therein explanations, 
illustrations, and suggestions. 

The original Authorized Version of 
the Bible, otherwise known as "The 
King James Version" had some 8000 
marginal references. Since 1611, many 
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SUGGESTED STEPS 



were added; some were irrelevant and 
of little help, others were of great value 
in throwing light on the text. Every 
passage inspired of God is of sufficient 
importance to be considered by the 
student if it, in any way, relates to the 
passage he is considering. "All scrip- 
ture that was written by the Spirit/ 5 
is the rendering of 2 Timothy iii: 16, 
17 in the Syriac version of the New 
Testament, "is profitable for instruc- 
tion, and for confutation, and for correc- 
tion, and for erudition in righteousness; 
that the man of God may become perfect 
and complete for every good work." 

It would be well, therefore, for every 
Sunday School teacher to take the 
advice of old Miles Coverdale (1535) 
who said, "It will greatly help you to 
understand scripture if you mark, not 
only what is written, but of whom, 
and to whom, with what words, at what 
time, where to, with what intent, under 
[53] 



SUGGESTED STEPS 



what circumstances, considering that 
which goes before and that which fol- 
lows." 

"The word of God," wherever it may 
be found, "is living, and active, and 
sharper than any two-edged sword, 
and piercing even to the dividing of 
soul and spirit, of both joints and 
marrow, and quick to discern the 
thoughts and intents of the heart." 



[54] 



SUGGESTED STEPS 



Use the Best Lesson Helps 

Should the Sunday School teacher 
use published lesson helps? Yes! 
"God gives every bird its food but 
He does not throw it into the nest." 
But lesson helps should not be used 
as substitutes for prayerful meditation 
and study. 

The best teacher's library contains 
a good copy of the Bible, a Bible Dic- 
tionary, Commentary, Concordance, 
and Text Book. To these may be 
added with profit, a volume of care- 
fully prepared notes on the current 
lessons, several of which are published 
annually, and a high grade teacher's 
periodical. 

No teacher can afford to neglect the 
help of others. "The Ethiopian eu- 
nuch might have received divine illu- 
mination, and doubtless did receive it," 
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SUGGESTED STEPS 



says Charles H. Spurgeon, "but still, 
when asked whether he understood the 
Scriptures which he read, he replied, 
'How can I unless some man shall 
guide me? ' The guiding man is needed 
still. Divines who have studied the 
Scriptures have left us great stores of 
holy thought which we do well to use." 

In choosing lesson periodicals and 
quarterlies, those should be considered 
first that are issued by the publishing 
house of the denomination to which 
the school belongs and in which the 
teacher is working. 

Loyalty to one's own branch of 
Christ's Church is to be commended, 
but not when efficiency has to be sac- 
rificed. If the school does not provide 
the best helps, the teacher always has 
the privilege of subscribing for some 
periodical that he deems more valuable. 

"He is not a good mason who re- 
fuses any stone/' but he should seek 
[56] 



SUGGESTED STEPS 



to find the most perfect one for his 
use. 

"If thou cry after discernment, and 
lift up thy voice for understanding/' 
said Solomon, "if thou seek her as 
silver and search for her as for hid 
treasures; then shalt thou understand 
the fear of Jehovah and find the knowl- 
edge of God." 



[57] 



SUGGESTED STEPS 



Go to the Class with Faith, Joy, 
and Enthusiasm 

"Stand firm, don't flutter," said 
Benjamin Franklin. It is fluttering 
that prevents achievement. A Sun- 
day School worker may fret and fume 
in his search for efficiency and fail. 
Anxiety and restlessness will not aid 
him, but faith in God combined with 
an indomitable purpose will give him 
power. When a teacher has been 
faithful in the preparation of his lesson 
and has looked to heaven for help in 
trustful confidence, he has a right to 
assume that Jesus will be with him and 
bless him. 

A Sunday School teacher's education 
may be meager, his talents few, his 
physical strength limited, and he have 
difficulties that often tempt him to 
doubt his call; but he ought never 
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SUGGESTED STEPS 



to forget that God is great, that the 
promises of the Scripture are sure, and 
that no service rendered for Christ and 
with the spirit of Christ can be a failure. 
Moses halted in his speech but was a 
wonderful leader of men; Paul's bodily 
presence was weak and his speech was 
of no account but he was an impres- 
sive preacher, and the Sunday School 
teacher with few talents and a hard 
class to manage may have the presence 
and power of the Highest. 

It is the privilege of every discouraged 
worker to stay his heart on the divine 
promises, wait on God, and listen until 
he hears a heavenly voice saying to him: 

"I'll strengthen thee, help thee, and cause 
thee to stand, 
Upheld by My gracious, omnipotent hand." 

In view of the abiding presence of 
God and the sure word of promise, 
every teacher should go to his class with 
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SUGGESTED STEPS 



dauntless courage, joyous in the con- 
sciousness of his right as a messenger 
of Jesus Christ, and speak to those 
under his charge with sincerity and 
earnestness. 

God says to every leader in the Sun- 
day School as he said to Joshua of old, 
"Have not I commanded Thee? Be 
strong and of good courage; be not 
affrighted, neither be thou dismayed: 
for Jehovah thy God is with thee 
whithersoever thou goest." 



[60] 



REMINDERS 



[61] 



REMINDERS 



It is a Privilege to Teach 

The Sunday School teacher is a 
builder of kingdoms within a kingdom. 
His work is a help to others in the forma- 
tion of character. So glorious is his 
calling and so royal is his service 
that he should not permit himself to 
look upon it as a task. The message 
that he delivers Sunday after Sunday 
is not only pure and holy but compre- 
hensive and potent. God stands back 
of him and his teaching. If at times 
his work seems to be monotonous, it is 
only because he thinks it to be so. 
When he goes reluctantly to his class, 
being driven by a sense of duty, his 
pupils instinctively realize that he is 
under the lash of his conscience and 
they partake of his spirit. His burden 
becomes their burden. 

A modern writer advises his readers 
[63] 



REMINDERS 



to, "Sing a hallelujah and make a 
fresh beatitude, "Blessed be drudgery.' " 
It may be that in the marts of trade 
such advice is necessary, but the Sun- 
day School teacher should rather say, 
"Blessed is the work that is so trans- 
figured that it ceases to be drudgery." 

Translating a portion of Romans xii: 
11, 12, William Tyndale rendered Paul's 
admonition thus, "Let not the busynes 
which ye have in hande be tedious to 
you. Be fervent in the sperete. Ap- 
plye youre selves to the tyme. Re- 
joy ce in hope/ 5 The worker that so 
transforms the business of lesson prep- 
aration and lesson teaching that it is 
no longer tedious must needs apply 
himself during the time of his appointed 
service, rejoicing in hope. "The joy 
of Jehovah," said Nehemiah to the 
people, "is your strength (your strong- 
hold)." 



[64] 



REMINDERS 



Success is not Achieved Without 
Labob 

He who imagines that he is so famil- 
iar with the Scriptures that he can 
teach without study deceives no one but 
himself. It is fresh preparation that 
yields fresh thought, and fresh thought 
that creates fresh interest. The man 
who depends on his "genius for teach- 
ing/ 5 shows by his dependence that he 
has no such genius. "He is a wise 
man who does not think himself wise." 

It is a very common mistake to 
imagine that the "gift of continuance" 
is the same as the gift "for instruction." 
The old maxim, "Much chatter, little 
wit," is as true in the Sunday School 
as elsewhere. "Genius," said the poet 
Longfellow, "is infinite painstaking." 
It might be well for the teacher who 
thinks that he can fulfill his obligation 
[65] 



REMINDERS 



without special preparation to commit 
to memory the old Oriental rhyme: 

"Good striving 
Brings thriving: 
Better a dog that works 
Than a lion that shirks." 

But there is another side to prepara- 
tion. Unnecessary toil is irksome and 
confusing to the mind. To pay undue 
attention to trivial details and burden 
the memory with dates, figures, words, 
illustrations, etc., is worse than useless. 

That the Sunday School teacher may 
prepare himself for his work, he should 
not only study the appointed lesson, 
but continually seek a more intimate 
acquaintance with God, a more con- 
stant fellowship with Christ, and a 
warmer love for the scholars under his 
care. Then will he be able to teach 
with grace and power, and be cc approved 
unto God, a workman that needeth 
not to be ashamed/ 9 
[66] 



REMINDERS 



The Teacher Should Apply the 
Lesson to Himself 

Teaching involves more than exposi- 
tion. The lesson is not merely a pas- 
sage of scripture demanding explanation ; 
it is also a message that requires to be 
delivered with the purpose of moving 
the conscience and will of those to 
whom it is spoken. To so deliver it, 
the teacher should apply the truth to 
his own heart. " First be trimmed 
thyself/ 5 was the direction of the 
Rabbis of old, "and then adorn thy 
brother." If the heart of the messen- 
ger has not received any message, how 
can he expect to deliver one to the 
hearts of others. 

Spirit alone answereth to spirit. 
It may be true that "no one is wise 
enough to advise himself/' but it is 
also true that no one is wise at all who 
[67] 



REMINDERS 



does not apply his heart to receive 
advice from God. Judging from Paul's 
epistle to the Romans, there seems 
little doubt but that if he were writing 
to Sunday School teachers today he 
would say: "Thou that teachest an- 
other should not be selfish, or proud, or 
mean, or revengeful, or disobedient; 
art thou also selfish, or proud, or mean, 
or revengeful, or disobedient? " 

Let the Christian worker ponder the 
words of the sainted Robert McCheyn 
who, speaking to preachers, said, 
"How diligent the cavalry officer keeps 
his sabre clean and sharp. Every 
stain he rubs off with the greatest care. 
Remember you are God's sword, His 
instrument . . . In great measure, 
according to the purity and perfection 
of the instrument, will be the success. It 
is not great talents God blesses so much 
as likeness to Jesus. A holy minister is 
an awful weapon in the hand of God." 
[68] 



REMINDERS 



May it not be truly said of some to- 
day as it was said of certain men of 
old, "When by reason of the time ye 
ought to be teachers, ye have need 
again that some one teach you the 
rudiments of the first principles of the 
oracles of God." 



[691 



REMINDERS 



It is Essential to be Often Alone 
With God 

Though Jesus possessed divine knowl- 
edge, He often turned aside to 
talk with God. We read that, "He 
went as was His wont to the Mount of 
Olives." The Mount of Olives was to 
Him the vestibule of His Father's 
house. There He met God and re- 
ceived help and strength, that He 
might return to the activities of life 
with renewed power and speak in the 
courts of the temple, the synagogues, 
the homes of the people, and on the hill- 
sides with increased wisdom and grace. 
Knowing from experience the necessity 
and joy of fellowship with the unseen, 
He charged Christians to follow His 
example. "When thou pray est," said 
He, "enter into thine inner chamber, 
and having shut thy door pray to thy 
[70] 



REMINDERS 



Father which is in secret, and thy 
Father who seeth in secret shall recom- 
pense thee." 

In olden times, the Puritans would 
sometimes offer this excellent prayer in 
their Christian songs : 

"My heart is but a rusty lock, 
Now oil it with Thy grace; 
And rub it, rub it, rub it, Lord, 
Until I see Thy face." 

The stanza, though but doggerel, is 
as appropriate for the Sunday School 
worker to-day as it was for men of old. 
He needs to reflect God in his life and 
teaching, as well as to speak for Him 
with the lips, and he cannot reflect 
Him without meeting Him at frequent 
intervals. 

Spurgeon, referring to the Puritans, 
tells us that one of their number, at a 
certain debate, was observed writing on 
a piece of paper. As he was a preacher, 
[71] 



REMINDERS 



some of his associates were anxious to 
know what he was writing so they drew 
near and looked at the paper but saw 
only these words repeated scores of 
times, "More light, Lord. More 
light, Lord." "A most suitable prayer 
for the student of the Word," observed 
Spurgeon in repeating the incident. 

"I am the Light of the world," said 
Jesus, "he that followeth Me shall not 
walk in the darkness but shall have the 
light of life." To Him should the 
teacher often go and in faith and sin- 
cerity repeat the prayer of the Psalmist, 
"Open thou mine eyes, that I may 
behold wondrous things out of Thy 
law." 



[72] 



REMINDERS 



Power to Interest a Class is 
Insufficient 

It is a great gift to be able to interest 
a class of restless boys or girls for one 
half hour or more, but interest is 
not the same as instruction. Intellec- 
tual sparkle may hold the attention 
but spiritual illumination is required 
to make the truth clear to the soul. 
" Glow worms are not lanterns/ 5 neither 
are glimmerings the same as shinings, 
and teachers should not fall into the 
error of thinking that they are success- 
ful because they are able to hold the 
interest of their pupils. 

While "Horses are not judged by 
their bells and their trappings, but by 
their limbs and bone and blood/, 
their bells and trappings serve an im- 
portant purpose in calling the passing 
throng to observe the physical perfec- 
ts] 



REMINDERS 



tion of the animals themselves. So 
Sunday School lessons are not to be 
judged by their adornments, these are 
only intended to attract the attention 
of the pupils, but by the value of the 
messages themselves. 

The merchant puts novelties in his 
shop windows to catch the eyes of the 
people as they pass his door, but he does 
not care for gazers unless they become 
customers. In like manner the teacher 
will use expedients that he may better 
hold the attention of the pupils, but his 
thought will be fixed on the truth that 
he is trying to impress on their hearts. 

The multitudes gathered about Jesus 
that they might see His wonderful 
works; being thus furnished with an 
audience He preached the word of life. 
When the Master told His disciples 
to follow Him, He promised them that 
He would make them "fishers of men." 
They were fishermen and knew the 
[74] 



REMINDERS 



devices employed by men of their craft 
to attract and secure the creatures of 
the sea. His promise, therefore, would 
naturally lead them to expect power 
both to draw and to impress the hearts 
of their fellowmen. 

Winning is an important part of a 
teacher's work but it is only prelim- 
inary to a more important part. 
"He that is wise winneth souls/' to 
himself, that he may lead them to God. 



[75J 



REMINDERS 



Winning is Better than Com- 
manding 

In Sunday School work, the leader 
is never a dictator but a friend. He 
does not command but allures. His 
strength is in guiding, not in driving. 
The persuasive word, "come/' is to 
him more forceful than the coercive 
word, "go/ 5 In this respect he is like 
the Apostle Paul who wrote to Phile- 
mon, "Though I have all boldness in 
Christ to enjoin thee that which is 
befitting, yet for love's sake I rather 
beseech. 5 ' 

"Men will not bow down to crowned 
power nor philosophic power nor es- 
thetic power" says Newell Dwight 
Hillis, "but, in the presence of a great 
soul filled with vigor of imagination 
and glowing with love, men will do 
obeisance." 

[76] 



REMINDERS 



The teacher can more easily win at- 
tention and good conduct by kind- 
ness and interest, than compel it by 
severity and chiding. It is the big 
brother who secures respect and not 
the big boss. The average healthy 
boy or girl resents a straight jacket 
unless he puts it on himself. 

The successful teacher, therefore, 
does not set himself above his class 
but makes himself a part of it, retain- 
ing his authority by sympathetic com- 
radeship and the knowledge of God's 
word. If he is a man who can take the 
initiative in aggressive service, he stirs 
them to work by drawing their hearts 
and showing them by example how to 
become efficient 

"The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, 
peace, long-suffering, kindness, good- 
ness, faithfulness, meekness, self-con- 
trol; against such there is no law/ 5 



[77] 



REMINDERS 



Simplicity and Clearness are Bet- 
ter than a Show of Learning 

Some one has said that, "'Sequi- 
pedalian' words are always bad for 
children and all plain people." It is 
foolish for a teacher to exploit his 
scholarship before a class of young 
people and bewilder their minds with 
explanations and theories that they 
do not understand. It is also an evi- 
dence of conceit. The teacher is a 
messenger of God and should not seek 
to display his powers in delivering his 
message, but seek rather to make the 
purpose of his Lord clear to the hearts 
of those to whom he speaks. A show 
of learning is, after all, nothing more 
than an exhibition. "To the weak I 
became weak," said the Apostle. "I 
am become all things to all men, that 
I may by all means save some." 
[78] 



REMINDERS 

In olden times the Levites read the 
word of God in a way that left no doubt 
in the minds of the people as to its 
meaning. "They read in the book, 
in the law of God distinctly (with an 
interpretation), and they gave the 
sense so that they understood the 
reading. 55 

Explaining profound truths in sim- 
ple language is better than teaching 
simple truth in profound language. 
Stilts do not make any man taller, 
they only lift his body and make his 
walking unsteady. The teacher who 
tries to show his learning tempts pupils 
to disrespect. If he talks above their 
heads they grow listless, if he wades 
beyond his depth they will seek to 
make him flounder by asking irrele- 
vant questions. 

"If the trumpet give an uncertain 
voice, who shall prepare himself for 
war? So also ye, unless ye utter by 
[79] 



REMINDERS 



the tongue speech easy to be under- 
stood, how shall it be known what is 
spoken, for ye will be speaking unto 
the air?" 

"Let no man deceive himself. If 
any man thinketh that he is wise among 
you in this world, let him become a fool 
that he may become wise/ 5 



[80] 



REMINDERS 



Love is Triumphant 

God does not set a premium on 
dullness. A dry-as-dust teacher will 
be wearisome to his scholars no matter 
how great his piety, and there is no 
virtue in weariness. Therefore, every 
person who has charge of a class should 
strive to make his work interesting, 
impressive, and instructive; but should 
not forget that, while brightness holds 
the attention, earnestness impresses 
the mind, and instruction builds the 
character, love alone is triumphant. 
Though he should "speak with the 
tongues of men and of angels 55 and 
"have not love, 55 his words will be as 
"sounding brass or a clanging cymbal. 55 

While "the best cause requires a 
good pleader, 55 it will not endure a dis- 
honest one, so that love's importunity 
cannot be feigned. He who attempts 

6 [81] 



REMINDERS 



to masquerade with virtue is false both 
to himself and to the cause that he 
represents. The only kind of love 
that is potent is "love without dissim- 
ulation." The scholars of a class may 
forget their teacher's explanations, il- 
lustrations, and lesson applications, 
but they will not forget his love. "Now 
abideth faith, hope, love, these three, 
and the greatest of these is love/ 5 

Is the teacher's patience taxed? 
"Love suffereth long," Is he inclined 
to fret and scold? "Love doth not 
behave itself unseemly. 55 Is he dis- 
posed to harshness and severity? Love 
"is kind. 55 Is his temper tried? Love 
"is not provoked. 55 Is he met by in- 
difference and coldness? Love "en- 
dureth all things. 55 Is he burdened 
with obligations? Love "beareth all 
things. 55 Is he discouraged and ready 
to give up? Love hopeth all things. 55 
On the other hand, has he been more 
[82] 



REMINDERS 



successful than others in the school? 
"Love vaunteth not itself/ 5 And has 
he been greatly encouraged in his work? 
Love "is not puffed up." 

"God is love; and he that abideth 
in love abideth in God, and God abideth 
in him/ 9 



[83] 



REMINDERS 



It is Well to Remember the Nat- 
ural Order of Teaching 

The natural order of teaching is, 
first, explanation; second, application; 
and third, exhortation. 

Next to the power of loving, the 
teacher's highest qualification is the 
ability to instruct. He must know 
the truth by personal experience and 
the study of the Bible and have the 
ability to make its meaning and appli- 
cation plain to the hearts of his pupils. 
If he is in earnest, he will not only pray 
for those under his charge, but will 
also seek to so expound the Scriptures 
that God will be able to answer his 
prayers through his words. " The wind 
can do him no good who steers for no 
port." If he wants to reach the hearts 
of his scholars he must steer in that 
direction. 

[84] 



REMINDERS 



The word, "cant/ 5 originally meant 
a beggar's whine; it now stands for 
insincere professional talk. Carlyle 
called it "double distilled lying." Let 
no teacher think it necessary to mar 
a lesson by any kind of forced pious 
pleading. If he does, the boys or 
girls in his class will consider his en- 
treaty as, "Sunday School cant." 
Honest exposition with practical ap- 
plication and words of sincere loving 
counsel will be all sufficient. 

When it seems desirable to speak to 
a pupil personally regarding Christ's 
claim on his life, it should be done in 
private. The presence of a parent, 
pastor, friend, or a classmate would 
be an intrusion. It might be found 
desirable to introduce some wise coun- 
selor with the scholar's consent on 
a subsequent occasion, but the initial 
appeal should be when alone with the 
pupil. 

[85] 



REMINDERS 



Let every Sunday School teacher do 
his work in a way that will please 
his Lord and look forward to the time 
when he will hear the words of divine 
commendation, "Well done, good and 
faithful servant: thou hast been faith- 
ful over a few things, I will set thee 
over many things; enter thou into the 
joy of thy Lord." 



[86] 



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